2014 Freshman Convocation

August 24, 2014 – Hillsdale, MI

On Sunday, campus came to life as new freshmen and returning students moved into their dorms, formed long lines outside the bookstore, met new faces, reunited with old friends, and prepared for the coming school year.

The highlight of the day was the Matriculation Ceremony. Morgan Delp, ’15, and Matthew O’Sullivan, ’15, opened the ceremony with remarks encouraging students to find joy in their pursuit of learning and to seek the best in others and themselves. President Larry P. Arnn then formally welcomed students and their parents. Provost David Whalen concluded the ceremony by having the Class of ’18 stand and take the Matriculation Pledge:

We, the students of Hillsdale College, commit ourselves to diligent study and patient reflection. Having come to learn, we are proud to do so with integrity and will conduct ourselves with exemplary honor. As sacrifices past and present make possible our education, we too become stewards of this College for the generations yet to come. We pledge ourselves to the pursuit of truth, the love of the good, and the cultivation of beauty, for the sake of our minds and hearts and for an ennobled society. By so doing, we embrace the high calling of liberal education.

The rest of the evening was filled with emotional goodbyes, as the new students bid farewell to their parents and families, before meeting with student mentors and RAs, and heading off to their dorms.

Freshmen have a busy week ahead of them, with a full calendar of academic and student life events. Classes begin August 27.

Have words of encouragement for students or photos of Freshman Convocation? Share them with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using the tag #WelcometoHillsdale.